Manna issue 75 - Lead a Godly Life 過著敬虔的生活
Understanding godliness.明白何為敬虔
Based on a sermon by Chia Ming Huang—Taiwan 台灣 黃嘉明 傳道 聚會講道
In the preceding article, we have read about the importance of spiritual cultivation in our pursuit of spiritual maturity.
This article takes it one step further and discusses another aspect of spiritual maturity—godliness.
前面的文章裡，在追求靈性成熟的過程中，我們已經讀到有關靈修的重要性。
這篇文章將會更進一步，來討論靈性成熟的另一個面向-敬虔。
But reject profane and old wives’
fables, and exercise yourself toward
godliness. For bodily exercise profits
a little, but godliness is profitable
for all things, having promise of the
life that now is and of that which is
to come. (1 Tim 4:7–8)
7只是要棄絕那世俗的言語和老婦荒渺的話，在敬虔上操練自己。
8操練身體，益處還少；惟獨敬虔，凡事都有益處，因有今生和來生的應許。
(提前 4：7-8)
Paul’s reminder to the young
Timothy is still relevant to us today.
Most people recognize that physical
exercise is important to help us
maintain good health. Relatively
however, exercising ourselves
towards godliness is even more
critical, because godliness not only
benefits us in this life, but also
enables us to receive the promise
of that which is to come. It is thus
necessary for us to understand what
godliness entails and learn how to
lead godly lives.
保羅對年輕提摩太提醒，也是對今日的我們，仍然具有相當重大的參考價值。
大部份的人都知道，鍛練肉體是對我們維持身體健康很有幫助的。
然而相對地，鍛練我們的靈性，也可以產生對神敬虔的態度，更加重要的是，因為敬虔不只對我們今生的日子有幫助，
也能將來讓我們可以得到未來的應許。
因此，我們有必要了解，敬虔到底包含了什麼，並且學會如何過著敬虔的生活。
UNDERSTANDING GODLINESS 學會敬虔
The dictionary1 defines “godliness”
as “the quality of being devoutly
religious; piety.” Clearly then,
“godliness” is only applicable in
religious contexts, and not to humans
or human activities. For example, we
may hold great respect for an elder
in church or a public figure, but we
are not godly towards them. In short,
godliness refers to a person’s attitude
towards God.
字典上的訂義 ，"敬虔" 就是 "在宗教上的事務上，對敬拜神誠心誠意的程度；虔誠"。
很明顯地，敬虔只在宗教相關的事務上被使用，而不會被用來對人的行為來使用，或是對人類活動來使用。
例如，我們對教會裡的年長者，或是公眾人物，可能會懷有極大的敬意，但並不是對他們有像神一樣的敬畏。
簡言之，敬虔是用來指，一個人對神的態度。
Since God is the object of our
reverence, we should seek to
understand how He wants us to
demonstrate our godliness. Most
people associate God and the
worship of God with the place where
they think God is found. Therefore,
in every religion, adherents regard
their places of worship as the place
to show their godliness or profound
reverence for God.
即然神是我們敬畏的對像，我們就要尋求去明白，祂是希望我們如何去展現他的敬虔。
大部份的人，一旦找到與神，或是與敬拜神的事務有關的地方，自已就認為找到神了。
所以，每一個宗教和其信徒，都會認為他們祟拜的地方，就是可以用來顯示他們是如何的虔誠，或是可以顯示他們對神是有多大的敬畏。
In the True Jesus Church, children
are taught not to run up and down
the aisles or talk loudly during
church services. They are reminded
that not treating the chapel as their
playground is one way of showing
their reverence for God and courtesy
to brethren who are there to worship
God.
在真耶穌教會裡，小朋友會被教導，不可以在走道上跑來跑去，或是不可以在聚會的時候，大聲說話。
他們時刻被教導，不要把教會的會堂當成遊樂場所，就是一種對神表示敬畏的方式，
並且對其他正在聚會的弟兄姐妹來說，也是一種有禮貌的行為。
While encouraging appropriate
behavior in church is correct, leading
a godly life is more than just what we
do within the church building. The
Bible urges us to lead a godly life that
is manifested both in and outside
the church. In other words, while
godliness is defined as an attitude
or behavior that is directed towards
God, we obey God’s command for
godliness to characterize every single
moment of our lives; we live such
that we are truly accountable to God
in whatever we do and say.
雖然說，在教會中，要有合宜的行為舉止是正確的，而且過著屬於神的敬虔生活方式，則會比在教會中的行為，需要更進一步的去接近神，去學習。
聖經鼓勵我們，要過著敬虔的生活，並且不論在教會裡面，或是教會外面，都能展現在人前，榮耀神。
換句話說，當敬虔被解釋成一種態度或行為時，就是單指面向神而言，
因為敬虔的原故，我們遵守神的誡命，讓我們生命的每個時間點，都能表現出帶有屬神敬虔的特色；
我們若能過著這樣的生活，就真的是在我們的言行舉止中，都能在神眼中看為寶貴。
LEADING A GODLY LIFE 過著敬虔的生活
Directed Towards God, Demonstrated Amongst Man 直接面對神，並且在人群中，展現對神的敬畏
The structure of the cross provides a
good framework for godliness. The
vertical part reminds us that godliness
is directed towards God, and the
horizontal part, that our reverence
for God should be translated into
how we deal with people.
十字架的結構，就提供了一個很好的敬虔架構。
直立的部份，就是在提醒我們，敬虔是與神的事有關的，水平的部份，我們對神的敬畏，應該轉變成為我們要如何與其他人相處。
Pure and undefiled religion before
God and the Father is this: to
visit orphans and widows in their
trouble, and to keep oneself
unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
27在神我們的父面前，那清潔沒有玷污的虔誠，就是看顧在患難中的孤兒寡婦，並且保守自己不沾染世俗。
(雅 1：27)
Elder James teaches us how to
be truly reverent before God, the
Father. Pure and undefiled religion
should not be limited to a feeling
of reverence for or a fear of God.
Instead, God wants us to channel our
reverence into practical application
in our lives; our love for God should
motivate us to love man. Thus, true
religion should be demonstrated
through visits to orphans and widows
in their trouble; that is, helping those
who are helpless. Godliness must be
linked to our way of life.
雅各長老教導我們，在神面前，要如何真的去敬畏神，我們的天父。
純潔且毫無沾污的信仰，並不應該因為對神的畏懼，只局限於敬畏的情感表現。
相對地，神希望我們把我們對神的尊敬，引導成為日常生活中，可以實行的應用。
我們對神的愛，應該可以激勵我們去更愛其他人。
因此，真正的信仰，應該可以透過探訪在困苦中的孤兒寡婦，來顯示其對神真正的信仰；
真的就是，去幫助那些需要幫助的人。
敬虔一定要和我們的日常生活有直接的連繫。
The Lord Jesus once referred to
Himself as the True Vine, and His
disciples, the branches. In other
words, once we are connected to
Christ, we are also linked to other
brethren. We are all members in and
of that one body of Christ. Jesus
Christ also reminds us that whatever
we do for our brethren is equivalent
to doing it for Him. He said,
“inasmuch as you did it to one of the
least of these My brethren, you did
it to Me” (Mt 25:40). The “least of
them” could refer to the weakest, the
youngest, or those who are generally
overlooked by others. Showing these
people love through concrete actions
of assistance and concern is, in Jesus’
eyes, showing Him love.
主耶穌曾經指著他自已，說他是真葡萄樹，祂的門徒是枝子。
換句話，一旦我們和基督有了連結，我們也和其他的弟兄姐妹有了連結。
我們就是在基督裡，同一個身體裡的所有肢體，也都源自於基督。
耶穌基督也提醒我們，無論我們作什麼在弟兄姐妹身上的，就好像是作在祂身上。
祂說，"這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。"(太 24：40)
"他們之中最小的"，可以為指為是，最軟弱的人，最年輕的人，或是那些容易被其他人所忽略的人。
透過具體幫補或關心的行動，對這些人展現出慈愛，在耶穌的眼中，就像是對神顯出了慈愛。
Another way of showing reverence
to God is to co-exist peaceably
and responsibly with others. One
practical and easy application of this
is to be very careful about the way
we interact and communicate.
表達敬畏神的另一個方式，就是能夠和別人和平共處，讓別人對你能加以信賴。
一個最容易，也是非常實用的應用方式，就是我們在和別人互動，或是在溝通時，非常的小心謹慎。
But I say to you that for every idle
word men may speak, they will give
account of it in the day of judgment.
For by your words you will be
justified, and by your words you will
be condemned. (Mt 12:36–37)
36我又告訴你們，凡人所說的閒話，當審判的日子，必要句句供出來；
37因為要憑你的話定你為義，也要憑你的話定你有罪。
(太 12：36-37)
The original Greek word for
“idle” is αργ?? (argos), which
means “thoughtless, unprofitable
or injurious.” Simply put, if we
have wronged others with our
words, causing them to stumble,
we will have to account for these on
Judgment Day.
"idle"希臘原文是 αργ?? (argos),指的是"未經思考的，沒有助益的或是誹謗的"。
簡單來說，如果我們因為說錯話，而錯怪別人了，並且讓他跌倒了，在審判日的時候，我們將要為這些事來負責任。
Established on Fear, Remembering That God Sees 隨時隨地敬畏神，記得神的眼目都在查看
The term for godliness in Chinese is
敬虔 (jingqian). The first character 敬
(jing) connotes honor and respect as
well as fear and reverence. Not only
do we honor our Creator, we must
revere and fear Him, because He
has the power to judge us. Ironically,
people in the world today are afraid
of many things—robbers, murderers,
terrorists, the supernatural, etc.—but
they are not afraid of God. Jesus
Himself reminds us not to fear those
who can only kill the body but cannot
kill the soul. Instead, we should fear
God in heaven who can either destroy
both body and soul in hell or deliver
us unto eternal life (Mt 10:28).
Godliness 這個詞在中文是敬虔。
第一個字，敬，意味著給予榮耀和尊重的程度，就如同帶著恐懼和畏懼。
我們不只是要獻上榮耀給創造萬物的主，我們也要尊敬和畏懼祂，因為他有能力可以審判我們。
令人諷刺的是，今日世上的人會害怕許多事情-例如強盜，謀殺兇手，恐怖份子，超自然的事物，等等-但他們卻不會畏懼神。
耶穌祂自已曾提醒我們，不要去害怕那些只能傷害我們肉體，但卻不能傷害我們靈魂的。
相反的，我們應該要畏懼在天上的神，祂不只可以用地獄來毀滅我們的肉體和靈魂，也可以拯救我們到永生的天國去。 (太 10：28)
For God will bring every work into
judgment, including every secret
thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl
12:14)
14因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，神都必審問。
(傳 12：14)
Our whole life is in the hands of
God. There is nothing we can hide
from Him. Hence, fearing God should
be the core of our lives, because the
fear of God ensures that our faith is
rooted and our lives upright. True
godliness established on the fear of
God means that we walk in His ways
all the time. Even without anyone
observing us, we continue to do the
right thing, because we know that
God is always there and He sees and
knows all.
我們的一生都在神的手中。
我們是沒有任何事可以向祂隱藏的。
因此，敬畏神應該是我們生活的重心，因為敬畏神可以保証我們的靈魂有根基，我們的生命過的正直。
真正敬虔是建立在敬畏神之上的，這也代表，我們無論在任何時候，可以走在祂喜悅的道路上。
即使沒有任何人會監視我們，我們會繼續行正直的事，因為我們知道，神永遠都在，祂會察看，也知道一切的事。
Joseph truly understood this. His
life story was fairly dramatic. Once
the favored scion living in the comfort
of home, he was sold into slavery by
his own envious brothers. Later, his
good work attitude and integrity
earned him his master’s trust, but
his good looks led to his mistress’
attempted seduction of him. Not
many virile and ambitious young men
could have withstood the daily egoboosting
invitation—“Lie with me.”
But, out of his fear for God, Joseph
refused. He knew that even if ther
were no human eye-witnesses, God
could see. So his adamant answer to
his master’s wife was, “How can I do
this kind of thing, this wicked thing
and sin against God?” His desire to
do the right thing ended up with him
being thrown into jail (Gen 39).
約瑟就很清楚知道這件事。
他一生的故事，就非常的戲劇化。
過去他是一個受到寵愛的孩子，住在一個非常舒適的家庭裡，他被忌妒自已的兄長們，賣身為奴。
後來，他行正事的態度和正直，讓他得到主人的信任，但是他的美貌，卻讓他的女主人想要引誘他。
在這世上，像這麼血氣方剛和野心勃勃的年輕男子，並沒有多少人能夠像約瑟一樣，可以拒絕這種讓他每天內心自我膨脹的請求 - "請和我上床"。
但是，因為他是敬畏神的人，約瑟就斷然拒絕了引誘。
他知道，即使是沒有任何肉眼可見的証人，神仍會監察。
所以他對女主人堅定的回答是，"我怎能作此大惡得罪神呢？"
他想要作正事的決定和想法，最後讓他被下到監獄裡去 (創 39)。
The Bible repeatedly declares that
God was with Joseph (Gen 39:2,
21, 23). Our general impression of
a person enjoying God’s abidance
is someone enjoying a peaceful and
comfortable life. In contrast, Joseph’s
circumstances fluctuated wildly. On
all these occasions, Joseph could have
questioned, perhaps even doubted,
God. He might have wondered why
his fear of God had not only not
safeguarded him, but worse, had
caused him to run up against wall
after wall. But importantly, Joseph’s
faith in and fear of God remained
steadfast.
聖經不斷重覆，神與約瑟同在 (創 39：2，21，23)。
我們對享受與神同在的一般看法，就是一個人可以樂於神所賜，平安又舒適的生活。
相反的，約瑟所處的環境，大大不斷的變動。
面對所有的環境，約瑟心中或有疑問，或許甚至也會質疑神。
他或許會想，為什麼他敬畏神並沒有得到神的保守，反而是遇到更慘的情況，讓他遇到很多艱難，像許多道牆在他面前，他必須撞牆。
但不論如何，最重要的是，約瑟仍然對神有信心，存心敬畏神，堅持到底。
Such is true godliness. It stems
from a fear of an unchanging God.
The truly godly person knows
when no-one else is looking, God
is looking. And even though he is
not immediately rewarded for his
godliness, he knows God is there and
will not fail.
這樣才是真正的敬虔。
是起源於對神的不改變，有絕對的敬畏。
真正敬虔的人，知道雖然沒有人在察看，但卻知道神在察看。
即使他並沒有因為善行或敬虔，馬上受到獎勵，他深知，神是同在的，並不會讓人失望。
Many people can be godly before
others. However, the greatest
temptations, those which will clearly
reveal our faith and godliness, are
those that appear when no-one is
around. During these moments, do
we still firmly believe and remember
that God sees? If the fear of God fills
us, even when no one else sees, we
can still reject evil.
許多人在人前時，可能裝得很敬虔。
然而，所產生最大的引誘的時候，可以顯明我們的信心和敬虔的時刻，就是在沒有人在旁邊的時候。
在那樣的時刻，我們仍會堅定記得，並相信神會察看？
若是有敬畏神的心，充滿在我們心中，即使是沒有人看見的時候，我們仍然可以拒絕罪惡的引誘。
The structure of the cross provides a good framework for
godliness. The vertical part reminds us that godliness is directed
towards God, and the horizontal part, that our reverence for
God should be translated into how we deal with people.
十字架的結構，就提供了一個很好的敬虔架構。
直立的部份，就是在提醒我們，敬虔是與神的事有關的，水平的部份，我們對神的敬畏，應該轉變成為我們要如何與其他人相處。
Maintaining Sincerity, Avoiding Hypocrisy 保持敬虔，棄絕虛假
The second character of the Chinese
term for godliness is 虔 (qian), which
also means reverence or sincerity.
True godliness is manifested in
honesty; the thoughts and actions
of a godly person are consistent with
each other.
敬虔中文字的第二個字是虔，代表了尊敬和真誠。
真正的敬虔是在誠實上展現出來的；
一個敬虔的人，在與別人相處時，不論在心思或行為上，都是始終如一的。
Jesus once told a parable of two
men, a Pharisee and a tax collector,
and their contrasting prayers. When
the proud and haughty Pharisee
prayed, he did not humble himself
before the almighty God. Instead,
he boasted of his pious acts for God,
listing his fasting and tithing, while
deriding the tax collector. In contrast,
the tax collector, head bowed in guilt,
just beat his own chest, saying, “Lord
have mercy on me for I am a sinner.”
Unfortunately for the Pharisee, Jesus
saw right through his hypocrisy,
declaring that it would be the tax
collector’s sincere prayer that would
be heeded by God (Lk 8:9–14).
耶穌曾經說一個比喻，有二個人，一個是法利賽人，一個是稅吏，他們兩個人的禱告有鮮明的對比。
當驕傲和自大的法利賽人禱告時，他在全能的神面前，並沒有謙卑自已。
相反的，他自誇自已在神面前敬虔的行為，列出他會禁食和奉獻十一捐，並且嘲笑稅吏。
反而是稅吏頭低低的，承認自已有罪，並且不斷認罪捶胸，向神說，"主啊，我是一個罪人，憐憫我。"
很不幸地對法利賽人而言，耶穌看穿了他的虛假，並宣稱，只有稅吏真心誠意的禱告，才能得到神的垂聽。(路 8：9-14)
The Pharisees were widelyrespected
for their devotion to the
Law, but Jesus stripped them of this
mask of superficial religious piety.
He constantly and sternly urged the
people not to be like the hypocrites,
the Pharisees:
法利賽人因為專心在律法之上，所以廣受尊重，但是耶穌脫下了他們在宗教虔誠方面，表面膚淺的假面具。
他不斷嚴正的警告人們，不要學法利賽人的虛假：
“And when you pray, you shall not
be like the hypocrites. For they love
to pray standing in the synagogues
and on the corners of the streets,
that they may be seen by men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have
their reward.” (Mt 6:5–6)
5你們禱告的時候，不可像那假冒為善的人，愛站在會堂裡和十字路口上禱告，
故意叫人看見。我實在告訴你們，他們已經得了他們的賞賜。
(太 5：5-6)
These hypocrites are doublefaced—
what they present to the
world is different from what they
truly are and truly think. Their prayers
are designed to elicit not the pleasure
of God, but the praise of man. This
is why they choose to stand at
prominent places like street corners—
so that people can both see and hear
how “devout” they are. Such prayers
are meaningless and in vain before
God, because they do not come from
the heart. God is Spirit and those
who worship Him must worship in
spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24).
這些是雙面虛偽的人-他們向世人所展現的，並不是他們真正的樣子，也不是他們真正的想法。
他們的禱告，不是為了要讓神喜悅，而是要得到人的讚美。
這就是為什麼，他們會選擇站在明顯的地方，例如街角-這樣人們就可以看見，也聽到他們是如何的"虔誠"。
這種禱告是沒有意義，在神的面前也是無效的，因為這種禱告並不是來自於他們的內心。
24神是個靈（或無個字），所以拜他的必須用心靈和誠實拜他。(約 4：24)
In contrast to the public-praying
Pharisee, Cornelius—Roman centurion
and the first Gentile convert to the
apostolic church—prayed at home
(Acts 10:30). He did not have to list
his own virtues and good deeds. His
sincerity and his quiet charity bore
testimony to his godliness (cf. Acts
10:2,4,22). His true piety was why
God chose him and his family.
與在公眾地點作禱告的法利賽人不同的是，哥尼流-羅馬帝國的千夫長，也是第一個改信到使徒教會的外邦人-在家裡禱告(徒 10：30。)
他並沒有列出自已的美德和好行為。
他的真誠和默默的行善，就能給他的敬虔作見証(cf. 徒 10：2，4，22)。
他真正的虔誠，也是為什麼神會撿選他和他家人的原因。
Growing Strong and Deep Spiritual Roots 變堅強，並且在靈裡札根
Roots, Not Just Fruits 建立好根基，並不只有結果子
In our life of faith, we are often
encouraged to bear fruits so that
others can see these fruits and glorify
God (Mt 5:16). However, before we
can bear good fruits, our tree must
be a healthy tree, and a tree can only
be healthy if its roots are healthy. It is
the roots that link the tree to water
and nutrients, enabling it to have
life. Thus, godliness is not just about
bearing fruits for others to see; it
also entails ensuring that our roots—
buried in the ground and invisible to
others—are thriving.
在我們信仰的生活中，我們常會被鼓勵要多結果子，這樣別人才能藉由看見這些好果子，把榮耀歸給神。(太 5：16)
然而，在我們能長出好果子之前，我們應該要是一棵好的果樹，只有根基也是健康的，果樹才會長得好。
也是樹根，延伸到水邊取得水份和養份，讓這棵樹能有生命。
因此，敬虔並不只是要能長出好果子，讓別人能看見；
也必需要確認我們的樹根-能夠深深的埋在地裡，在讓人看不見的地方-這樣果樹才能長的茂盛。
The truly godly person knows
when no-one else is looking,
God is looking. And even
though he is not immediately
rewarded for his godliness, he
knows God is there and will not
fail.
真正屬神的人，知道當沒有任何人看得到的時候，神是會察看的。
即使，他並沒有因為敬虔，而立刻得到獎賞，他知道，神在這裡，神並不會讓他失望。
One such unseen aspect of faith
is our personal relationship with
God. We may appear to be very
zealous in the work of God but is
our relationship with God thriving?
Are our hearts truly filled with God?
Deceiving other people is not difficult.
We constantly read of people who
have fallen victim to scams; some,
even repeatedly. Man tends to be
misled by the superficial. However,
God is never deceived, because He
knows our very heart. This is why
we must guard our hearts above all
things, because out of it spring the
issues of life (Prov 4:23). It is our
hearts that will determine our value
in God’s eyes.
一個人在信仰上，看不見的另一面，就是這個人和神之間的關係。
我們或許外表上，會對神的工作非常熱心，但我們和神的關係也是一直在生長和興盛嗎？
我們的內心是否真的讓神所充滿？
要欺騙別人並不困難。
我常會得知某些人，成為醜聞的主角；甚至有些人一直不斷再犯錯，發生醜聞。
人們常會因為外表的原故而被誤導。
然而，神是不會被騙的，因為深知我們的內心深處。
這就是為什麼，我們要保守已心勝過一切，因為一生的果效是由心發出。(箴 4：23)
也就是我們的心，會決定我們在神眼中的價值。
On one occasion, Jesus observed
people making their offerings. There
were many wealthy people who
offered much. No-one there knew or
cared about a poor widow who gave
two mites. But to Jesus, this poor
widow had put in more than anyone
else; others had given out of their
abundance, while she, out of her
poverty, offered her whole livelihood.
The Lord saw her heart (Mk 12:41–
44). To God, it is not the quantity, but
the quality that matters.
在一次某個場合中，耶穌看到人們正在奉獻。
有許多有錢人，也奉獻許多金錢。
在那裡，沒有一個人知道，或是關心一位貧窮的寡婦，她只獻兩個小錢。
但對耶穌而言，這位貧窮的寡婦，所獻上的比任何其他人都豐盛；
別人只會奉獻自已多餘的部份，而她，雖然是很貧窮，卻獻上她全部維持生活的一切。
主看見她的內心(太 12：41-44)。
對神來說，數量不代表一點都不重要，神所看重的是，所獻上物品的品質。
Spiritual Depth, Not Height 靈性的深度，而不是高度
A godly life must be manifested from
within, from the roots. Outward
godliness without constant inner
renewal and closeness to God is
meaningless. Hence, a godly person
focuses on depth—enhancing his
spiritual growth through spiritual
nurture; he is not interested in
pursuing spiritual “heights”—that is,
visible achievements such as status in
church, eloquence, or a large base of
“disciples” (cf. 1 Cor 1:12; 3:4).
一個敬虔的生活，一定會由內而外展現出來，並由根基開始。
外在的敬虔，卻沒有內在的更新和與神更親近，是一個意義也沒有的。
因此，一個敬虔的人，會注意自已信仰的深度-透過屬靈的養份，來讓自已的靈性成長；
他並不會有興趣去追求所謂屬靈的 "高度"- 也就是說，看得見的成就，例如，教會中的地位，口才，或是有一大群"信徒"會去追隨。(cf. 林前 1：12；3：4)
In terms of buildings, height
without depth leads to a very
flimsy structure. Hence in Taiwan,
a skyscraper must be constructed
according to certain norms in the
ratio between its height and the
depth of its foundation to prevent it
from toppling during an earthquake.
Similarly, people who only pursue
spiritual highs may present a false
impression of godliness. When a
tremor comes along to shake their
faith, they topple and fall.
若是用建築的角度來說，只有高度，而沒有深度，只會導致形成一個脆弱的結構體。
因此在台灣，有高樓大廈要建的時候，必要跟據一定的規範，在高度和地基的深度之間，會有一定的比例，
以防止在地震發生的時候，整座大樓會倒塌。
同樣的道理，只追求屬靈高度的人，可能會展現出錯誤敬虔的外表。
當震動來臨時，就會搖動他們的信心，接下來，他們就會搖動和傾倒。
In addition, from the perspective
of the church, spiritual height will
not necessarily edify the church.
Worse, if the church emphasizes
visible achievements, her members
may compare and compete. And for
church ministers, this is an important
reminder that spiritual virtue and
leading a godly life are more
important than gifts or eloquence (cf.
1 Cor 14).
除此之外，從教會的角度來看，屬靈的高度不一定會對教會有造就。
更糟的是，假如教會只著重看得見的成就，信徒就會互相比較和競爭。
對教會長執而言，這也是一個很重要的提醒，屬靈的美德和過著敬虔的生活，是比恩賜和口才更加重要的。(cf.林前14)
The rejection of Saul by God is a
case in point; illustrating the ironies
of height and the pursuit of it. Saul
was literally a man of great height. He
was the tallest and most handsome
man in Israel (1 Sam 9:2). Initially,
he was humble and self-effacing (1
Sam 9:21). But after he became king,
he tried to look for ways to further
elevate himself.
而掃羅王被神拒絕的案例，在這裡就是非常恰當；
它顯示出在地位高度或是追求高度的事上，是格外令人覺得諷刺。
從文字敘述上來看，掃羅是一個長得高壯的人。
他是以色列人中，最高大，且最英俊的人。(撒上 9：2)
一開始，他是非常謙卑及謙遜的(撒上 9：21)。
但是當他成為國王之後，他試著找出更多的方法，來提昇他自已的地位。
Saul’s jealousy was first roused
when the praise accorded to David
was higher than that for him. Without
much spiritual depth, he did not seek
to overcome his jealousy. Instead, he
sought ways to kill David. Worse, at
the close of his life, he even turned to
a spirit medium. Finally, this king who
tried so hard to raise himself up was
beheaded after death (1 Sam 31:9).
Most tragically, the first man whom
God raised to “save [God’s] people
from the hand of the Philistines” (1
Sam 9:16) did not strengthen the
kingdom of Israel during his reign,
because his spirituality was too
shallow.
當百姓讚美大衛殺敵的人數，比掃羅殺敵的人數更多時，掃羅就開始忌妒大衛。
在沒有任何靈性深度下，他並沒有試著去克服自已內心的忌妒心理。
反過來，他想盡任何方法，想要把大衛殺掉。
更糟的是，在他生命快結束的時候，他甚至跑去找靈媒。
最後，這位不斷努力想要提昇自已的國王，在死後，卻又被斬首示眾。(撒上 31：9)
最悲慘的是，他是第一個神所選出來的王，"要拯救神的百姓脫離腓利士人的手"(撒上 9：16)，
並沒有在他王的任期內，把以色列王建設的更加強盛，一切都因為他的靈性相當膚淺。
To reiterate, godliness is about
nurturing inner virtues, not displaying
a pious facade. This is especially
challenging in contemporary society.
Firstly, our world today highly
esteems attractive packaging.
Grooming and presentation courses,
image consultants, and so forth,
abound so that people can present
their best face—literally and
figuratively—to the world. So while
we know a person’s looks well, we
can never know his or her heart.
再次重，敬虔是只對內心美德的培養有關，而不是表現在敬虔的外表。
關於這一點，由其是現今的世代，是特別具有挑戰性。
首先，今日我們的世界高度尊重外表吸引人的包裝。
外表修飾，簡報課程，形象顧問，和其他等等，變得非常興盛，
讓人們可以表現出自已最好的一面-就字面上所帶來的意義，還是只是用來象徵注意外表的一切，對這個世界的人，都這麼追求。
我們一旦只會認識一個人的外表，就會不去好好了解他或她的內心世界。
Consider Judas Iscariot. The devil
picked him to betray Jesus because
of Judas’ greed and hypocrisy. When
Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with
spikenard oil and wiped them with her
hair, Judas immediately commented,
“Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold
for three hundred denarii and given
to the poor?” At that moment, Judas
would have appeared most charitable
and “godly.” But in reality, he did not
care for the poor, but “he was a thief,
and had the money box; and he used
to take what was put in it” (Jn 12:6).
讓我們看看加略人猶大。
因為他的貪心和虛鬼，魔鬼選擇他來背叛耶穌。
當瑪利亞用珍拿達香膏，來抹耶穌的腳，並且用她的頭髮來擦，
猶大馬上就說，"為什麼不把這瓶香膏賣300個銀子，並且拿來幫助窮人呢？"
在那個時候，猶大的表現就是最有愛心，是最敬虔的人。
但是事實上，他一點也不會關心窮人，而且"他就是一個小偷"，
他管理錢箱；他常常把放在裡面的錢，私自拿出來用(約 12：6)。
Secondly, we live in a society
that constantly urges us to
promote ourselves and trumpet our
achievements. While such strategies
may be necessary to ensure that we
get our due appreciation from our
bosses, or secure the job we want, it
would be tragic if these become part
of church life. For example, a believer
may ask esoteric questions about the
Bible, not because he genuinely has
a heart to learn and to improve, but
just out of a desire to show that he
is more knowledgeable or to contend
with the Bible study leader.
第二，我們生活在一個社會，不斷鼓勵我們要來推銷自已，並且鼓吹自已的成就。
當然，這樣的想法，或是是有必要的，因為可以確保我們自已從上級老闆手上，得到合理評價，或者能確保我們得到想要的工作，
假如這些都成為我們教會生活的一部份，就非常的可悲。
例如，信徒會想要知道一些有關聖經裡面秘密的問題，
並不是因為他有一棵想要學習，或是想要進步的心，來追求真理，
而是出於個人的慾望，要來顯示他是比別人更有聖經的知識，或是想要和查經的主領來辯論。
Godliness is not just about
bearing fruits for others to see;
it also entails ensuring that our
roots—buried in the ground
and invisible to others—are
thriving.
敬虔並不只是要能長出好果子，讓別人能看見；
也必需要確認我們的樹根-能夠深深的埋在地裡，在讓人看不見的地方-這樣果樹才能長的茂盛。
If anyone teaches otherwise and
does not consent to wholesome
words, even the words of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which accords with godliness, he
is proud, knowing nothing, but
is obsessed with disputes and
arguments over words, from which
come envy, strife, reviling, evil
suspicions, useless wranglings of
men of corrupt minds and destitute
of the truth, who suppose that
godliness is a means of gain. From
such withdraw yourself.
(1 Tim 6:3–5)
3若有人傳異教，不服從我們主耶穌基督純正的話與那合乎敬虔的道理，
4他是自高自大，一無所知，專好問難，爭辯言詞，從此就生出嫉妒、分爭、毀謗、妄疑，
5並那壞了心術、失喪真理之人的爭競。他們以敬虔為得利的門路。
(提前 6：3-5)
EXERCISING UNTO GODLINESS 努力追求敬虔
Godliness is not just a concept we
can think ourselves into having. As
Apostle Paul said, we must exercise
ourselves unto godliness. Many
would consider Paul the epitome of
the strong or even perfect Christian.
Yet he says, “I discipline my body and
bring it into subjection, lest, when I
have preached to others, I myself
should become disqualified” (1 Cor
9:27).
敬虔並不是一種想法，我們自已能夠想出來，並且就學會了。
就像使徒保羅說的，我們必需要操練自已，學會敬虔。
很多人可能會認為，保羅是一個強的信徒的縮影，或是完美的基督徒。
然而他卻說：
27我是攻克己身，叫身服我，恐怕我傳福音給別人，自己反被棄絕了。(林前 9：27)
It is a truism that we are our own
greatest enemy. Consider the warriors
in the Bible. Samson was one, if not
the, most valiant. He killed a thousand
Philistines with a single donkey
jawbone. But Samson was powerless
over his own lust. In this context,
Delilah was superior, for she was able
to twist him and his heart around her
little finger. David defeated Goliath
but was himself defeated by his own
lust. The moment he saw Bathsheba
bathing, he was lost. Indeed, from
ancient times, mighty warriors have
been felled by their weak hearts.
就像老生常談一樣，我們自已就是自已的敵人。
看看聖經裡面的戰士。
參孫就是一個例子，很難說，他不是最英勇的戰士。
他用一隻驢子的下巴骨，殺了一千個腓利士人。
但是在他個人的慾望面前，他卻是軟弱無力。
在故事中，大利拉是才是真的優勝者，因為她可以改變參孫，轉變他的想法，把他玩弄在手掌之間。
大衛雖然打倒哥利亞，但是他卻被自已的慾望所打敗。
他看到拔士巴在洗澡的時候，他迷失了。
是的，從古至今，大能的勇士，常常是倒在軟弱的心腸之下。
To attain godliness, we must be
able to see our own weakness and
to overcome it by God’s word. The
word of God should be directed at
ourselves, not others. The standard
God expects of us is clearly set out
in the Bible, showing us how much
we have fallen short. Our next step
is then to rely on the power of the
Holy Spirit to help us systematically
overcome each flaw. It is human
nature to hide behind the excuse
that these shortcomings are part
of our personality, and that others
should just accept us as we are. We
must be determined to clean up our
hearts, exercising ourselves towards
godliness.
要得到敬虔，我們一定要看透自已的軟弱，並且靠著神的話來勝過。
我們應該時刻要面對著神的話，而不是其他的東西。
神所期待我們的標準，是非常明顯的寫在聖經裡面，清楚的告訴我們，是如何的不足與軟弱。
然後，我們的下一步，就是要依靠聖靈的能力，來有系統的幫助我們克服每一個缺點。
會用藉口來開脫，是人的天性，但這些缺點是我們個性的一部份，其他人應該就要接受，我們就是這樣的為人。
我們一定要決心來清潔內心，操練自已，最後學會敬虔。
CONCLUSION 結論
Putting all these together, godliness
refers to man’s deep respect and
obedience to God. Such deep
reverence is meant only for God.
However, God wants us to manifest
this godliness in our lives through
word and deed. Showing love to
not just those whom we love, but
for brethren whom others have
forgotten, is tantamount to doing it
unto the Lord. To complement shining
for the Lord, we must also tend our
spiritual roots. No-one will see us
undertaking spiritual nurture in order
to improve our personal relationship
with God. However, deep roots are
critical because they provide spiritual
sustenance. May our Lord help us to
do everything from our hearts and to
deepen our spiritual roots.
把所有的討論集合起來，敬虔指的就是人們內心裡最深的敬重和對神的順服。
而這種最極緻深沉的祟敬，只專為神所顯露。
然而，神要我們在生活中的言語和行為上，活出這種敬虔。
活出愛來，不會只是愛那些我們所愛的人而已，而且也包含了那些為人所遺忘的弟兄姐妹， 這就等同於作在主身上一樣。
要為主發光，我們一定要好好的札下屬靈的根基。
為了要和神有良好的關係，是沒有人會看見我們正在靈修的。
然後，深深札根是很重要的，因為在靈性上，才有足夠的養份。
願我們的主幫助我們，讓我們能重心裡作好所有的事，並能把我們屬靈的根基深深札下。
Bondservants, obey in all things
your masters according to the flesh,
not with eye service, as menpleasers,
but in sincerity of heart,
fearing God. And whatever you do,
do it heartily, as to the Lord and not
to men, knowing that from the Lord
you will receive the reward of the
inheritance; for you serve the Lord
Christ.
(Col 3:22–24)
22你們作僕人的，要凡事聽從你們肉身的主人，不要只在眼前事奉，像是討人喜歡的，總要存心誠實敬畏主。
23無論做甚麼，都要從心裡做，像是給主做的，不是給人做的，
24因你們知道從主那裡必得著基業為賞賜；你們所事奉的乃是主基督。
(西 3：22-24)
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入英翻中的事工
目前英文嗎哪雜誌為二個月出版一刊
每位譯者會是二個月翻譯一篇英文稿
留言列表
